Creative Explorations

Beyond the Screen

3D modeling, physical design, and visual storytelling.

Not everything I design lives on a screen. Outside of UX and product design, I explore 3D modeling, apparel, embroidery, and photography, finding new ways to turn ideas into something tangible.

Two military-inspired boonie hats, olive with gold branding and black with teal branding, set against a mountain landscape

Focus: Visual Design, 3D Modeling, Physical Design, Photography
Project Type: Independent Creative Exploration
Tools: Blender, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Nikon D600
Techniques: 3D Texturing, Embroidery, Sublimation Printing, Vinyl Graphics

01 / 3D Modeling

Recreating a boonie hat in Blender

I challenged myself to recreate a military-inspired boonie hat in Blender, working through its shape, brim, crown, webbing, and material details.

I explored different textures, lighting, and color variations to make the digital model feel like a tangible product.

Blender render of an olive boonie hat with gold branding on the crown and a chin cord — Olive with gold branding.

Blender render of a dark boonie hat with teal branding on the crown and a chin cord — Dark with teal branding.

02 / Physical Design

My military boots, reimagined

I transformed a pair of military boots with embroidered roses inspired by Tupac's The Rose That Grew from Concrete.

For me, the piece represents resilience, growth, and the ability to create something meaningful from where you've been. It's a personal example of how my military experience continues to influence my creative work.

Tan military boots with red embroidered roses and ribbons on the toes, standing on a rock among autumn leaves

Embroidered military boots resting in an open black duffel bag, with an American flag patch on the heel

Photographed with a Nikon D600.

03 / Visual Design

Exploring identity through apparel

I also explored how graphic design and brand identity translate onto physical products, combining visual concepts with apparel, embroidery, and print techniques.

These experiments allowed me to think beyond a flat composition and consider how a design looks, feels, and communicates when worn.

Back of the olive work jacket with a large white grenade graphic and the number 88, composited above soldiers at a grenade range

Front and back of a jacket designed as an homage to my military Ordnance background.

Creative Practice

Different mediums. Same curiosity.

Whether I'm designing a digital experience or creating something physical, I'm drawn to the process of exploring ideas, working through details, and making something tangible.

These projects give me room to experiment with materials, techniques, and visual storytelling, and to bring that curiosity back into my work as a designer.